This wiki is a private work space for the Affiliations Committee. More information about the committee can be found on Meta: Affiliations Committee.

Mission statement

The Wikimedia projects have an international scope, and their outreach has already made a significant impact throughout the world. The mission of the Affiliations Committee is to help continue this success by coordinating the organization of Wikimedia chapters, thematic organisations, and user groups — groups of people chartered to further the goals of the Wikimedia projects with a special regard for their local impact.

These organisations are a source of essential local knowledge for the Wikimedia Foundation, and provide the community with a point of contact capable of fulfilling specific local needs. Existing chapters have proven that these groups are invaluable in expanding and developing Wikimedia's level of international cooperation, and the Committee will ensure that their proper role within the movement is fully realized.

Creating an organization from scratch is a hard task. Creating one capable of fulfilling the requirements of a Wikimedia affiliate is even harder. One of the Committee's tasks is to make this process an easier one.

Another is to guide emerging organisations through their founding process by helping them draft bylaws, answering questions about what the Foundation expects from an affiliate, approving limited financial support (if required), and providing general help and advice.

We understand that people from different cultures, living in different countries and under different legal systems, will have unique ideas and requirements for the function of an affiliate and will encounter various needs and concerns along the way. Each organisation will be approached individually with this in mind.

For existing organisations we will act as the first point of contact with the Foundation and try to solve any problems that might arise, or point people in the right direction.